Have you ever looked at the way someone and thought to yourself, now that is an interesting and fun person? The secret is not in the clothes, it’s in the translation of your inner spirit to your outer beauty. We often let society dictate how we “should” look and what we “should” wear. If you are a typical thirty-something, or over, you know what I mean. Society says we need to be conservative in our dress, don’t show too much, don’t be too eccentric, it’s not proper. If you could see my face as I write this, you would see me rolling my eyes, sticking out my tongue and looking down right weird.
If you are anything like me, you change five times before actually settling on something to go to a party in. The first option is too revealing, but makes you feel sexy. The second option is too conservative and makes you feel boring, jeans and a turtle-neck, really? The third option is somewhere in between the two and the fourth option is yet another version of something in the middle. Lastly, you settle on the turtle-neck and jeans because it’s the safest option. After all, what will people think?
I am very guilty of making these decisions and try to break the cycle every day, still. Ideally, I would like to dress like this:
However, as a business owner, public figure and professional, dressing like this isn’t synonymous with knowledge, respectability, class, competence or integrity, all the qualities I want to exude in my personal and professional life (I sincerely apologize for any feelings that may be hurt by that last statement, I don’t make the rules, I just know from scientific studies that my observation is the clinical norm). So, what I choose to do instead is dabble with the looks that cater to how I really want to express myself on the outside to reflect the way I feel on the inside.
That is, dressing the way you feel on the inside can be beneficial despite what society says. But dressing for what you desire out of life is also beneficial. So, how do we come to terms with who we are, how we feel and what the expectations of the masses are?
A piece of stone beaded jewelry here, a chakra pendant there, a skirt with exotic prints or oversized shirts that are place over printed leggings, that's how.
It has been scientifically proven that people who make just a slight variation to the norm are seen as unique with higher competence levels than those who don’t push the envelope. The study is interestingly and justly named: The Red Sneakers Effect: Inferring Status and Competence from Signals of Nonconformity. Click the link to read this study:
(http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/The%20Red%20Sneakers%20Effect%202014_4657b733-84f0-4ed6-a441-d401bbbac19d.pdf)
By using small or seemingly insignificant additions or changes to the dullness of your everyday “mom/wife wear” you can make a huge impact on the way you feel about yourself and the way others perceive you. Isn’t that fun? When you express your inner beauty, feelings and thoughts with outer style, you not only raise your vibration, happiness and wellness but you open yourself up to compliments, wonder, and conversations regarding your uniqueness.
So, go ahead and buy that mood ring, wear the smiley face scarf, or wear braids in your hair then enjoy the smile that it brings to your face and to your soul.
Tina